Let me preface this by saying I love being connected to the world via my phone, the internet, my laptop, my iPad - you name it. And I know you're most likely reading this on a digital device right now. But digital technology is both a blessing and a curse. We use it for most of our work, our calendars, our alarms, our music, our reference library - everything! In some ways it can save so much time, but in others it can suck the time right out of our days. Having so much digital engagement is wreaking havoc on our minds - and this affects our quality of sleep and stress levels the most.

The solution? A little daily break. It's completely unrealistic, I think, to take whole days without technology, but we can fit in a little tech-free time each day. Enter Power Down Hour: a mini brain holiday. For an hour, either first thing in the morning or just before bed, aim to use no technology at all - no phones, TVs, iPads or radio of any sort. It will create some mental space and free you up to be more creative in your thinking. Think conversations that are actually had in person, not over Instagram and Facebook. Reading from the pages of a book or a magazine. Just for a single hour. When we do it on waking we feel calmer and more grounded going into our day and when we do it at night it allows our brains to calm down and prepare for sleep.

Here are my top 3 tips for making Power Down Hour work for you:

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Because the world really will go on turning without us being attached to our devices for an hour each day.

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